PYTHAGOREAN WRITINGS. 537 



count of thofe things which he had faid of the gods *. 

 This ftory acquires a greater degree of probability, 

 from the known ill-will the earlier!: eleatics bore to 

 Homer. 



The accufation brought by Brucker againft Timseus 

 of denying the tranfmigration of fouls, makes juft as 

 little as the former againft his authenticity. For, had 

 he actually denied it ; yet he might be a Pythagorean 

 and an antient author, without believing in tranfmigra- 

 tion. It is well known that the firft difciples. of Pytha- 

 goras did not all obferve ftrict orthodoxy. But, if 

 he did not deny it ; then this is one proof more in be- 

 half of his authenticity. And this latter I take to be 

 the moft juft ; though it be unjuft according to the 

 latin and the more recent tranflations. Timaeus, after 

 the words already quoted, proceeds in this manner: 

 We then neceftarily fpeak of unufual punifhments., of 

 migrations of the foul, &c. 



For the fake of greater perfpicuity I here fubjoin the 

 very words : Azyoivlo ^oivocynoiius xa,i Tifruptai ^svai 9 Jb^&v- 

 £voy.Eva,v rav i{/u%<%!/ rm pev JsiAwv e; yvvocixEa, crxoivca, t»toP v£piv 



whfopzva,, k. t. x. The ripwptoii £evoa our author tranf- 

 lates by outlandifh punifhments ; but we may learn 

 from any lexicon, that %evo; lignirles, ftrange or un- 

 ufual, and that the doctrine of the tranfmigration of 

 fouls was to the Greeks. Avccyxxm relates to thofe who 

 would not allow themfelves to be governed by reafon, 

 and in regard to them the tranfmigration was necerTarily 

 enforced, to keep them in reftraint at leaft thereby ; 

 foecaufe for rational people fuch punifhments were not 



* Diogenes Laertius, viii. 21, 



heedful. 



